Today's diary:

Once again, today's photos can be found by following the appropriate link above. After yesterday's very sunny day, a lot of rain was forecast for today. And although it drizzled on and off for most of the day, it didn't start to pour with rain until about 4pm when thankfully I was on the bus home!

Today's walking started in Shipton-under-Wychwood. I first had to find the bus to Shipton in Magdalen Street in Oxford. The information I had got from the web said it went from the C4 bus stop but when I got to this bus stop the X3 was not one of those listed as departing from the bus stop. I guess with only two or three buses a day, no-one bothered to add it to the list of buses. I searched around and found the actual bus some distance away with the bus driver having a rest. He confirmed that I had found the right bus stop (and that he would be there at 0830hrs). When the bus set off, there were only 7 people on board, and only one of those went as far as I did.

I left Shipton at about 0930hrs. After Shipton, the village of Ascott-under-Wychwood is soon reached. My book says that Ascott has a good village green linking the two settlements of Ascott Earl and Ascott d'Oyley. Must admit, I didn't see the village green.

Much of today's route is alongside the River Evenlode. The third photo shows a meandering stretch of the Evenlode.

The railway line (known as the Cotswold Line) also follows the route of the Oxfordshire Way and although there are stations at both Shipton and Ascott the trouble is that there are only two or three services a day serving these stations. So, whilst walking the Oxfordshire Way, I've had twice to use a bus from/to Shipton rather than use the train.

After Ascott, there is no village until Charlbury which is 6.75M from the start. So it's across lots of fields where I take even more photos of bales of hay. The house in the 7th photo is Pudicote House. Today, I also take a lot of photos of horses, flowers, cows and sheep.

Where to go for lunch? Earlier this year, The Rose and Crown, in Market Street, Charlbury (OX7 3PL), was named North Oxfordshire Pub of the Year for the third time by CAMRA. Elsewhere on the web a review reports that it's "open all day but with no food":

Here's an older picture of it:

So, instead, I go to The Bell Hotel which is just round the corner in Church Street which seems to do food until 2.30pm. Here's a photo of the Bell Hotel:

I see some people tucking into chicken burger, salad and chips which looks good and so I settle for that even though it's a staggering £9.50. To accompany, the food, I have a half of Greene King IPA and a half of Greene King Ale Fresco. The IPA was its usual self, but I enjoyed the Ale Fresco. The Bell Hotel is busy.

I then move to the Rose and Crown and there is no customers there apart from me. I have a half of West Berks Wedding Ale followed by a half of Adnams (but I forget which Adnams). I chat to the barman about Charlbury, whether it is a town/village, the pub, the beer, the music being played, the Zodiac, the Bully. By the way, you don't have to starve in the Rose and Crown: they do have a few rolls at lunch time.

Charlbury calls itself a town, and there were quite a few shops as well as the four pubs. I quite liked Charlbury but as usual with these Oxfordshire villages none of the houses would be in my price range.

As it's 6.75M from Shipton to Charlbury, I've already done most of today's walking. After lunch, there's another 3M to get to Stonesfield. First it's a long walk along roads to get out of Charlbury but then there's a long leafy lane. In the leafy lane, I took a photo of the route forwards and the route back. I also took a photo of a mushroom.

I then came across some others doing the Oxfordshire Way: see the two photos of the long line of pheasants/grouse/quail.

The last but one photo shows a part of Stonesfield. I arrive there with about 30 minutes to spare before the bus back to Oxford (which had three people on it).